"He was a bit distracted looking at his bike computer": Bizarre bus collision forces Jhonatan Narváez out of the Giro

Jhonatan Narváez’s sudden withdrawal from the Giro d'Italia, just a few kilometers into stage 19, was a massive shock that robbed the race of one of its most dominant animators (he secured three stage wins) and Paul Magnier's main contender for the maglia ciclamino. UAE Team Emirates-XRG sports director Manuele Mori has now revealed the surreal backstory behind the abandon: a freak collision with a team bus that initially felt like minor whiplash, but later escalated into mid-race dizziness and nosebleeds.

The seeds of the disaster were planted on Thursday afternoon following the finish of stage 18. Narváez was riding back to the team bus when a momentary lapse of concentration resulted in a painful crash.

“On Thursday after the stage to Pieve di Soligo, Jhonatan was a bit distracted and looking at his bike computer while riding back to the buses," Mori recounted in words to Bici Sport. "A bus in front of him braked, he didn't notice it, and there was an impact. At the time, it didn't really seem like anything serious, just a few contractures in his neck and back, the classic stiffness from a hit.”

While the Ecuadorian champion line up on Friday morning hoping the stiffness would go away, the physical intensity of the Dolomite stage (combined with rising temperatures) triggered a much scarier physical reaction.

“Yesterday he suffered right from the start, I think also due to the heat and the effort, and he started getting a nosebleed," Mori explained. "He was experiencing dizziness, probably also a bit of fear, and so, together with the race doctors, we decided to stop him.”

When asked if everything had truly looked normal before the stage rolled out, Mori confirmed that the team had no reason to suspect a medical emergency until the racing actually commenced. “Yes, except for those few contractures, classic whiplash," Mori added. "But in the race, he felt quite ill, and so we made the decision to withdraw him, also as a precaution.”

The abandon is a devastating blow for Narváez, who had spent the last two weeks deep in a high-stakes battle for the points classification. “He was very disappointed and mortified because he really cared about it; he fought every day to bring home the ciclamino jersey," Mori shared. "We were all very disappointed, but health is more important.”

Narváez has already left the race bubble to return to his family and begin a proper recovery process. “Yes, he left this morning on a flight,” Mori confirmed.

With July fast approaching, the conversation has already shifted to whether the versatile puncheur will be able to start the Tour de France. In case he does, it would be his second appearance at the Grande Boucle.

“I don't know that yet, Matxin and the technical staff will decide that down the line," Mori concluded. "But certainly, after a bit of rest, he will be ready to return to racing.”